The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-04-03
SPIRIT MANIFESTATIONS
THROUGH A TELEGRAPH IN
S1RUMRNT
That Arc Attested by Intelligent
Business Hen, Who Have Been
Convinced by the
MESSAGES THEY RECEIVED From
OCCULT AGENCIES.
The Case in the Hands Of DR.. Sspp,
Who Was Guided by the spirit
Of DIR. Wells.


perhaps in all the records Of the
manifestations or occult forces and
in the experiments with psychic en-
ergies has been so remarkable, so
perplexing and, after the most rigid
investigation, more convincing than
what relates to the development Of
telegraphic communications from an
unseen world through gentleman
of this city. The facts have been
we'll known to a number of people
who have investigated them, but no
statement has ever been made 10 the
general public curious in these mat
tiers, except one or two fanciful and
distorted account of the phenomena
that got into. certain newspapers.
The writer, having had occasion to
make very careful and thorough in
quiry into the matter, considers that
an accurate narrative as to what these
manifestation are, how they came
about and the remarkable utilitarian
purpose to which ulti nately they
were put would be of interest and Of
some value perhaps as a contribution
to the literature of occult science.
Some four and half years ago it be-
came known to those curious in these
matters that a gentleman living in
this city had been able to obtain
communication from unseen intelli-
gences, or what purported to be such,
through modification of telegraph
apparatus, and without any interven-
ton on his part. How this matter
started and what came of it Mr..
Rowley stated to the writer as fol-
lows: =
HOW DISCOVERED.
THE influence Of power, or what
ever it is" said Mr.. Rowley; came
to me in a singular way. | never was
spiritualist and was prejudiced
against spiritualism to a degree that
amounted almost to bigotry. | was
brought up in the Methodist Church,
and with my family attended that
church. Some four years ago | no.
ticed, when sitting quietly, a tapping
on my cuffs and collars. / thought
it was singular, but never gave it
much attention. The taps came in
regular succession and quite dis
tinctly. One evening we had some
company at our house, and we got
to talking about .spiritualism, and we
we're all of the opinion that it was all
humbug. | proposed that just for
sport we sit at a table and see if any
thing would happen, We placed our
hands on the table, and to our aston
ishment and CONSERVATION we heard
loud raps on the table. We pro-
ceeded to ask questions, and after
awhile this message was wrapped out.
Get States" / went across to the
grocery and got two states and placed
them on the table. The raps
began on the slate like the
ticking of a telegraph instrument
and to my great establishment
spelled out in tho regular
Morse alphabet, with which l was
familiar, the name, n. s. Evans l
was dumbfounded. This man was a
friend of mine, telegraph operator,
whom | had known well when living,
but of whom | was not thinking, nor
had thought Of for long time. But
here was his name spelled out in
Geographic language, and a long mes
sage was received, recalling we'll re-
membered incidents in his associa-
ton with me. | tested him thor
oughly, asking him questions as to
his age, birthplace, personal appear
ance and. incidents in his life that
other parties could not have known
anything about, and every question
was answered promptly and correct
ly. We subsequently req eated these
experiments and readily obtained
these Geographic taps, messages being
received from various persons This
was my first experience and the
starting point Of these manifesto
tons"
DEVISING AN INSTRUMENT.
Mr.. j. II. Wade, hearing Of the
manifestations, undertook an inves-
tigation of them, for which his
knowledge of telegraphy well fitted
him. He constructed rude appa-
ratus, consisting CT key with Sound
er" attachment, and shut it up in a
box, so that there could be no con-
tact with it from outside. When
Mr.. Rowley placed his hands ON the
box the instrument on the inside
tapped off Its telegraphic messages
quite readily. This was examined
thoroughly by number OF .electri
clans and telegraphers Of this city,
Superintendent Wright, of the West
ern Union, being one, and while all
agreed that the messages came in
regular telegrsphic language, the
source from which they came was
not apparent and could not be re-
ferred to any known cause or law of
electricity. The operator, whoever
he was, was invisible, and The means
by which he caused the apparatus to
indicate the messages could not be
ascertained. There was an occult
power at work possessing intelli.
gence, but beyond this there was nc
satisfactory conclusion.
This instrument was defective in
that it produced but one sound to
each motion of the key, and had not
the reflex action causing the up and
down or double click of the regular
telegraph instrument. This led Mr.
Wade to further experiment aud to
the construction OF more perfec;
instrument, which has been used
since, aud which will presently be
described. 1t has been used in the
homes of many prominent citizens Of
this city, and the manifestations
through it have been of a most re.
markable order, as these citizens car
testify. 1t has been submitted to the
closest scrutiny of experts in tele
graphy, but invariably with one re.
suit and one conclusion. The mes
sages come from some intelligent
source, and they did not come from
Mr.. Rowley, nor through any collu-
sion on his part with anybody else OF
through him. Messages have been
received in various foreign Ian
guages, with none Of which Mr.. Row
ley has any acquaintance, and a great